Last Sunday, I flash-froze my gonads in the Pacific during a modest swell, and while it was not the most comfortable experience in the water, there were several good rides on my bodyboard and the camaraderie of the blue-lipped surfer in the lineup, the only other person willing to paddle out at dawn on this particular winter day.
Monday morning I dropped my son off at school and went on a fantastic bike ride through a sunny but crisp winter day. That evening, the fellas and I got together for a strategy game night. We talked and played, I savored a fancy gose (a sour wheat beer) I'd picked up for the occasion, and it felt wonderful to be in the company of dear friends.
Tuesday and Wednesday were spent in the office, but we moved the ball a few yards and I felt able to contribute meaningfully. My paternal grandmother would have been 107 last Wednesday. I called out to my uncle and we remembered her with affection and wonder.
Thursday I had a Zoom meeting with my mom, sister, and mom's insurance agent to strategize over how to get a new homeowner's policy. In the latest round of schadenfreude for California-bashers, a number of insurers are issuing policy nonrenewals because they took a beating in the recent Palisades and Eaton fires, leaving folks like my mom high and (despite the recent atmospheric river) dry.
That was chased by a relaxing lunch with my wife and an annual meeting with our accountant. I made a savory riff on fish fajitas for dinner, experimenting with the addition of Spanish olives stuffed with pimentos and red wine vinegar served over Israeli couscous - a success! We capped off the evening with a Zoom call to family in Canada.
Yesterday was an early morning bike ride and a few emails sent to independent insruance agents on mom's behalf. In the late morning I met a friend for coffee who had asked if I wouldn't mind nerding out over her finances. I explained to her this was a favorite past-time, and we set to it discussing her current plans and steps she might take to put a more robust plan in place.
I walked across the street to meet another friend for burritos. She's a recovering workaholic, an unexpected caregiver for an ill partner, a firecracker of energy and affection, and it was a balm for my soul to spend the next two hours catching up with my friend. That afternoon, my wife and I caught up on household logistics, spent time lying on a couch relaxing together, and then we ended the day watching an episode of Severance. I have to remind my wife at times that television watching is a silent listening activity and not a dialogue.
This morning, I was up early and alone in the Pacific for as long as I could last until the shivering began. The waves were decent, a pod of three dolphins surfaced within 20 yards of me, and when I finally started trudging up the trail leading back to my car I passed a surfer on his way down - my blue-lipped friend from the week before, who nodded a smile as he walked past.
After a period under a hot shower where I regained sensation beyond my trunk, my son and I drove to my favorite local coffee shop for a couple of strategy games followed by an illicit driving lesson (he's 15 and too young for his learner's permit) in the parking lot of his high school. Since both of us are generally rule-followers, it feels extra delicious for him to be a scofflaw and me to play a corrupting influence.
After a week like this, it's difficult to contain the sense of abundance and gratitude I feel.